Kennedy Space Center, FL – Today media gathered at KSC to greet the arrival of the NASA Pegasus barge ship carrying the iconic orange center core of the SLS Artemis ll rocket. It arrived about 10:30 this morning at the KSC Turning Basin where tugboats Termite and American position it at the dock so the rocket core can be unloaded and prepared for its truck journey to the nearby VAB son July 24th.
As this procession was unfolding, NASA communication representatives treated the press core to a rare look inside the Rotation, Processing, and Surge Facility (RPSF) building. On hand to answer questions were personnel who work on the Artemis 2’s Solid Rocket Boosters.
The Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) will provide the thrust necessary to propel the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket into space and on to the Moon. These SRBs have a legacy dating back to the Space Shuttle program but will now play a critical role in the success of NASA’s deep space exploration goals.
Powering Artemis II
The Artemis II mission aims to take humans beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in decades, setting the stage for future lunar missions and eventually Mars. Key to this mission are the two SRBs attached to the SLS rocket. Each booster stands a towering 177 feet tall, roughly the height of a 17-story building, and is designed to deliver a combined thrust of 7.2 million pounds at liftoff, providing more than 75% of the thrust needed to escape Earth’s gravity.
Each SRB is composed of five segments, with each segment weighing in at a massive 300,000 pounds when fully loaded with propellant. This brings the total weight of a single SRB to approximately 1.6 million pounds. The propellant used is Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant (APCP), a highly efficient and powerful mixture. APCP consists of ammonium perchlorate as the oxidizer, aluminum powder as the fuel, and a binder, which also serves as a secondary fuel. A very stable mixture but, once ignited they cannot be extinguished until all the propellant has been burned. This is a fundamental characteristic of solid rocket motors.
State-of-the-Art Storage and Processing
Storing and processing these colossal boosters is no small feat. The SRBs are housed in the Rotation, Processing, and Surge Facility (RPSF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. This facility is specifically designed to handle the SRBs from their arrival at the center through their preparation for launch.
The RPSF is a climate-controlled environment, crucial for maintaining the stability of the solid propellant. The facility also includes advanced fire protection measures, given the highly combustible nature of the materials involved.
Fire Protection: A Priority
Safety is paramount when dealing with SRBs, and the RPSF is equipped with a sophisticated fire suppression system to mitigate any risk of fire. Central to this system is the spark-detecting fire suppression technology. Infrared spark detectors are strategically placed throughout the facility, capable of identifying the smallest sparks that could indicate an impending fire. Upon detection, these sensors trigger an immediate alert and activate the suppression system. The suppression system employs a water deluge system to quickly extinguish any flames through the entire building at once and continues until shut off.
Ensuring Mission Success
The integration and assembly of the SRBs with the SLS rocket take place in the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Here, the SRB segments are stacked vertically and joined to the core stage of the rocket. Once fully assembled, the rocket is moved to Launch Complex 39B for final preparations and, eventually, launch.
The SRBs’ journey from manufacturing to launch is a tribute to NASA’s dedication to safety, precision, and engineering excellence. As Artemis II edges closer to its launch date, expected no earlier than September 2025, the SRBs stand ready to play their crucial role in humanity’s return to the Moon.
